Mizu no Sennto
by IronyV
Summary: Kyo and the shisenten are young elves from the planet Elvindar. They are sent to Earth to gather information for Elvindar for Earth's invasion. Along the way, they met other humans, who are either with them, or, against them.
1. Chapter 1: Young Elves

Author's note: Hi guys. This is my first ever fan fiction. It is based on Samurai Deeper Kyo but it is an AU story. Is called Mizu no Sennto, meaning Water battle in Japanese.  
  
Special thanks to my lovely sister, whose nickname is XiaoBai. She has been writing alot of fan fiction, thus it was she who have helped in contributing into my first ever fan fiction.  
  
I hope you will enjoy my story! If you have any comments, just shoot me!  
  
Cheers! IronyV

P.S: No FLAMERS allowed. Thanks for your cooperation! -- --  
  
_Thousands of years ago, Man and Elves lived together harmoniously on Earth, the green lands of the Universe. However, a leader from Man rose up and drove off the Elves. Exiled, they seek refuge in an unknown planet, where the landscape was similar to Earth. The Elves named it Elvindar and they lived there for many, many years.  
  
Unfortunately, Elvindar's resources were limited. The weather conditions were unlike Earth, in which the water cycle helped to recycle water. The weather was always fine in Elvindar, thus water couldn't be collected from rain. This was a serious problem as the Elves used a lot of water to replenish their magic, thus the water usage was extremely high.  
  
In the year EE1032 (EE stands for Exiled Elves), Elf researchers discovered that the water would not be able to last for another 5 years. Already elves were dying from dehydration (in elvish means lack of magic cause by lack of water). It was also at this time when many young and adventurous Elves grew to resent the fact that they have to be away from their origins, Earth. They had heard stories of how Man drove them out from Earth, and most of them wanted to seek revenge on Man.  
  
Together, these ambitious set up an organization to invade Earth. The organization recruited and trained many young elves and also visited elder elves about the conditions of Earth. However, the information collected was not enough. Thus, the council of the organization selected 5 elves to infiltrate onto Earth to obtain more information..._  
  
== ==  
  
The streets of Elvindar were silent and dark in the dead of the night. Four figures were resting in a small alleyway just beside the main road.  
  
"He's _late_." One of them muttered.  
  
The tallest of the four laughed, "As always."  
  
"Where is he anyway?" Said another, leaning back against the wall, "Do you think he lost his way again?"  
  
The fourth person kept silent.  
  
Just then, a figure walked towards them slowly.  
  
"You're late." Said the first person grumpily.  
  
The new comer shrugged and said, "I lost my way."  
  
Suddenly, the fourth person stood up, looking at his watch.  
  
"We're late. Let's get going."  
  
There was a quiet whispering among the five people. Soon, there a soft glow appeared around them and the five figures disappeared into the night.  
  
==  
  
Mizu no Sennto By: IronyV  
  
Chapter 1: Young Elves  
  
==  
  
It was yet another beautiful morning. Muramasa was the shop owner of Muraken, a shop that sold ancient samurai swords. He was sitting comfortably on a tall stool outside his shop, drinking his soothing tea. It seemed as though today would be like any other normal day where he would probably not get any customers and he would be left alone with a good book and a cup of good tea.  
  
However, today he had an appointment; an important meeting with five special guests.  
  
CRASH!!  
  
And it seemed that they had arrived, Muramasa thought cheerfully.  
  
He set down his cup gently, opened the door to his back room and moved towards the garbage dump.  
  
There were voices coming from inside the big container. They appeared to be quarrelling.  
  
"What are we—okay, who messed up the spell?"  
  
"Well, I didn't."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Are you suspecting my abilities?"  
  
"I think...I did correct."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"Yes...I did it correct."  
  
"So why are we in a dump?"  
  
Muramasa chuckled and stepped out of the doorway, "That will be my doing. I had specifically put a barrier around the house. So the only way to teleport is to enter through the garbage dump."  
  
Five figures jumped out of the dump and landed neatly in front of Muramasa, glaring rather angrily (well, except for the blond guy in red. He was looking rather indignant).  
  
The one standing closest to him was a blond young man wearing blue clothes and had bright blue-green eyes that were glaring furiously at him. Standing next to the young man was a tall man dressed entirely in black with fierce red eyes. Beside the man in black was a rather dazed looking blond man in red clothes. He was commenting about something to a pink-haired lady wearing a kimono to his right. The tallest among the five of them grinned slightly at the sour look the guy in black had and brushed his clothes with his hands again. Then he turned towards Muramasa.  
  
"Muramasa-kun, thank you for your lovely welcome, but I hope that you will not do that again," he said, and Muramasa could sense a hint of annoyance beneath the calm voice.  
  
Muramasa smiled, "Of course there won't be a second time, Bontenmaru-san. Welcome to my humble house, minna-san. Come, let me lead you to the restrooms to clean up."  
  
He began walking into the house and the five special guests followed him in.  
  
== ==  
  
"Dozo, Akari-chan." Muramasa offered a cup of hot tea to the pink-haired lady. She smiled in appreciation.  
  
He then sat down in front of the five of them and then looked at them seriously.  
  
"I assumed the council had explained everything to the five of you."  
  
The five nodded but Muramasa decided to explain the mission again, "The five of you are here to infiltrate into the main head quarters and gather information about the Earth Leader. Now, you must remember that not all of the council members are supporting this...so there must be _absolutely_ no room for failure."  
  
"But before you do that, the five of you must learn to act and talk like humans first. So until I feel that all of you are skilled enough, there will be no spying or infiltrate, wakarimasu ka?"  
  
Muramasa looked at them and noted that the five were not very pleased about the plans. He smiled inwardly; this proved that they were very eager about the mission.  
  
"Right," Muramasa said, getting up, "I will let the five of you stay for a few days and get to know things. But after that, you'll have to go out and rent an apartment and find a job or go to school."  
  
"Gakko?" The young man in blue asked.  
  
Muramasa smiled and pointed at the other man in red, "Hai, Akira-kun, Gakko. Hotaru-kun and you looked young enough to attend school."  
  
"Ano, why can't we find a job? We are in the working population in Elvindar." Hotaru asked.  
  
"People would ask questions, Hotaru-kun." Muramasa said patiently.  
  
"How about the others?" Akira persisted and pointed at the pink-haired lady, "Akari looked as young as us."  
  
"Soka, Akari-chan too then." Muramasa said and Akari grabbed Akira in a headlock.  
  
"Are you courting death, _Akira-chan_?" Akari snarled as smaller blond struggled.  
  
"So, Kyo and I would be working then." Bonten said jabbing his thumb at the guy in black. Muramasa nodded, "You might want to find a work that would help in getting into the government...but I won't suggest the service industry...the two of you are too stubborn."  
  
Bonten laughed out loud and elbowed the silent guy beside, "Kyo, why don't we find some work where we can meet lots of girls? This way, we can not only earn money, but also get something in extra!"  
  
Kyo kept quiet, smoking his pipe and grinning slightly.  
  
Muramasa placed his cup gently on the table, and wondered out loud. "On second thoughts, working in the service industry is inevitable. However, as I mentioned earlier, if both of you worked in a café, I'm afraid that you might get fired on the first day of work."  
  
The five young elves looked at Muramasa. Akari finally asked, "Muramasa- san, what is a _caf_?"  
  
Muramasa chuckled softly and picked up his cup. "Ah, I have forgotten that all of you have never lived on Earth as yet." He stood up and walked towards a wooden drawer beside the table. After what looks like a rummaging of stuff in the drawer, he took out a big stack of papers and walked back to the table, placing the stack of papers on the middle of the table.  
  
"What's that?" asked Akira  
  
Muramasa sat down beside Hotaru, who is playing with the ant that he found on the floor. "When I came to Tokyo, I was like all of you, I knew nothing about the things on Earth and the environment. Thus, for one whole month, I learnt and wrote an Earth's guide for elves who are coming to Earth in the future."  
  
"An Earth's guide for elves?" Akari, Bonten, Akira and Hotaru replied simultaneously.  
  
"Hai, an Earth's guide for elves. That is what I call it. It was pretty enjoyable during that one month. I told a few humans that I have lost my memory and have forgotten everything. This way, I am able to gather information easily and quickly." Said Muramasa heartily.  
  
Bonten laughed out loud, "Muramasa-san, I would never thought that you can think of such a cunning way!"  
  
Muramasa smiled, and drank from his cup.  
  
Akari took the stack of papers and start reading out loud. "Content. Map of Japan, Map of the different provinces, Languages, Food names, Accommodation, Leisure, Time/Dates and Festivals, Others." She looked up at Muramasa and asked, "Do we have to know all these? I feel like a tourist to this place instead!"  
  
"Technically, the five of you are tourists.... or should I say you are immigrants?" Muramasa mused.  
  
"We are not immigrants!" Akira said indignantly, "We're just here to do an important business, then we're out of here!"  
  
"Fine, fine. Suit yourself." Muramasa said, "Anyway, these stack of papers will be helpful to your stay here. It would be good if you can explore the place yourselves. And as I've mentioned earlier, I will allow all of you to stay here momentarily. _Momentarily_. Wakarimasu ka?"  
  
"Hai! Wakarimasu Muramasa _sensei_!" Akari, Bonten, Akira and Hotaru answered amusingly. Kyo was still smoking his pipe but he was grinning.  
  
== ==  
  
4 days later...  
  
"Ne Akira-chan, why must we wear these ugly clothes again?" Akari looked into the mirror. She doesn't seem pleased.  
  
"For the millionth time already, we need to dress like the humans. These are the clothing that they wore. _And_, for the millionth time, stop calling me Akira-_chan_! " hissed Akira, glaring at Akari irritably.  
  
Akira and Akari were standing next to a big mirror in one of Muramasa's room. They were wearing the latest teenage fashion clothing. Akari wore a pink long sleeved off-shouldered top and an army green miniskirt. On her legs, she wore long stockings with a pair of funky sneakers. For Akira, he wore a light blue graphic t-shirt and a dark green pants. He had on his leg ankle-lengthed socks and a pair of sports shoes.  
  
"Demo... demo... I looked horrible in _these_! Why can't I wear my lovely kimonos? I look beautiful in my kimonos!" Akari whined, sulking at her reflection on the mirror.  
  
"Hmmm... I think these clothing do look weird, but we will just have to bear with it. You should be happy that I didn't give you pants and a shirt...after all, you are suppose to wear them instead of skirts...OUCH! What's that for?!" Akira rubbed his arm painfully as Akari frowned irritably.  
  
"One more word about _that_, Akira-_chan_, and your darkest secrets would be known to everyone in Elvindar..." Akari hissed darkly, clenching her fists menacingly. Akira gulped and shut his mouth quckly.  
  
"That's better...anyway, where is Kyo-san and Bonten?" Akari asked, looking around the house.  
  
"Kyo and Bonten have gone out together with Muramasa-san to look for job opportunities." A voice suddenly said from behind Akari and Akira.  
  
Akari and Akira yelped and almost jumped out of their skins. They turned around immediately, ready to kill the offender. It was Hotaru, sitting on the tatami mat. He was dressed in a red baggy T-shirt that was threatening to fall off his shoulders, black three-quarter pants and a pair of slippers.  
  
"What the _hell _are you _thinking _of, Hotaru?! Scaring us in broad daylight!" Akira hissed, his hair was still standing.  
  
"Precisely! When did you get in here?!" Akari growled, while preparing to give a knock on Hotaru's head.  
  
"Did I scare you? Ah... Gomen." Hotaru answered simply, and looked out of the window.  
  
Akira clenched his fist and growled in irritation, "Why you--"  
  
Just then there came the sound of the wind chime, followed by a call, " Ano, is anyone here?"  
  
The three young elves froze. Then Hotaru suddenly said.  
  
"Ah, Muramasa-san told us to look after the shop while he is out."  
  
There was another moment of silence before Akari and Akira exclaimed, " NANI?!"  
  
Akira's eyebrow twitched and he growled, "How in the world are we going to attend to any customers when we had NO experience AT ALL?!"  
  
Hotaru shrugged, "I don't know...I'm just the messenger."  
  
"Ano, gomen nasai! Anyone here at all?" The person below them called again.  
  
Akari frowned worriedly, "Well, we can't do this! We'll mess it up!"  
  
Hotaru nodded slowly, "Un...but he also said, if we did not do a proper job, there will be no dinner..."  
  
Simultaneously, the stomachs of the three elves growled loudly. The person on the ground floor was still calling.  
  
"I guess..." Akira sighed as his stomach growled again, "I guess we could try..."  
  
== ==  
  
"Iraishaimase!" The three elves chirped happily at the awaiting customer. "How can we assist _you_?"  
  
"Hehh...young kids as attendants? Such a rarity!" the man said delightedly.  
  
Akira felt a stab of annoyance when he heard the phrase 'young kids' and growled slightly. Akari nudged him and smiled hurriedly at the customer.  
  
All three of them looked at the man in front of them. He looked no older than they do but his golden eyes showed intelligence and cunningness. The man wore a long coat and a blue turtleneck top. His black hair fell around his shoulders and the overall impression that he gave was a young pretty boy.  
  
"Ne ne... this shop sells ancient samurai swords right? Could you recommend some to me?" the man asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Un, these way please sir," Hotaru replied, ushering the man to another room. Akari and Akira looked at each other worriedly.  
  
"This might be tougher than we've thought," Akari whispered, while walking into the room.  
  
"Un, and I have a bad feeling of this," Akira replied.  
  
== ==  
  
"Dozo," Akari offered a cup of tea to the young man.  
  
"Arigato gozaimasu," the young man smiled at Akari dashingly.  
  
'Oh my goodness! He's so handsome! And—his _smile_! It's beautiful!' Akari thought dreamily.  
  
"So, what kind of ancient sword can you recommend me?" the young man asked Akira.  
  
'Oh no...I knew nothing about the history of the swords here!' Akira thought desperately.  
  
"Ah ha ha...well...what I can recommend you is _this_!" Akira hurriedly took down the nearest sword that he can find and presented it to the young man.  
  
"Hmmm...this sword looks very new, it doesn't look ancient at all," the young man commented.  
  
"Oh...erm...I- "  
  
"Sir, I am so sorry to hand you such inferior sword!" Akari quickly pushed Akira away and bowed to the young man. "This young kid is a newcomer thus he have no adequate knowledge on swords. Gomenasai!"  
  
KID?! I am a full-grown elf for goodness sake! And what does she knows about _swords_?! Akira thought angrily.  
  
Akari took another sword from the wall and presented it to the young man.  
  
"Sir, this is a 16th century samurai sword. Looking at the special cutting of the sword, we can assume that the owner is a highly skilled samurai who have been through many battles that happened in the past." Akari continued, "And, looking at the traces of blood left on the sword, it seemed that the owner might have died in a battle or killed himself."  
  
"How can you determine the owner's method of death by the traces of blood?" Questioned Akira immediately.  
  
The young man laughed and turned to Akira.  
  
"Samurais swords must be sharp and clean but blood will rust the swords. Thus, after every blood shedding battle, the samurais would get rid of the blood left on their swords. If this sword have traces of blood on them, it would mean that the owner was either killed in battle or have committed suicide, like what this pretty lady have said."  
  
Akira nodded, but he had another question in mind.  
  
'How did Akari know all these information on swords?' Akira wondered.  
  
"Ahh...you looked adorable yet intelligent as well. May I have the honor of asking your name?" the young man asked Akari.  
  
'He called me a pretty, adorable and intelligent lady! And...and...he is asking my name!' Akari blushed and stared dreamily into space.  
  
Akira turned to the young man and sneered, "Sir, not to offend you but, you should try not to judge a book over its cover. She is actually a-- "  
  
Before he knew it, Akari kicked him on the groin, and he immediately fell to the ground, whimpering with pain.  
  
"Akira, please watch your tone in front of the customer. You should sound friendly and courteous, not rude and sarcastic" snapped Akari.  
  
"Oei...oei, all I just did was to tell him your true-- "  
  
Before he knew it again, Akira received yet another kick on the stomach. He groaned and crouched on the floor.  
  
"There you go, that should put you in place. Now back to the handsome young ma--" Akari turned her attention to the young man, only to find an empty seat.  
  
"W-Where is he?" Akari asked and looked around quickly.  
  
"I don't know, I was being kicked by you, remember?" Akira groaned, still lying on the ground.  
  
Akari looked at Hotaru, who have been missing in action for quite a long while. He was looking dreamily at the swords on the wall and humming an elfish tune.  
  
"Hotaru...what happened to the young man?"  
  
"Ummm...I was looking at your battle with Akira. But I did see the young man walking out of the room."  
  
Akari looked at the table and turned back to Hotaru.  
  
"Hotaru, did you see the man talking a sword with him?"  
  
"Ummm..."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Ummm...I think he did."  
  
"You think?" Akira asked, straightening himself up.  
  
"Umm...Affirmative."  
  
"NANI?! He took the sword with him! He did not pay anything at all!" Both Akira and Akari yelled nervously.  
  
Akari pulled on the front of Hotaru's t-shirt and started shaking him angrily.  
  
"Hotaru, why didn't you stop him?! How are we suppose to answer to Muramasa- san when he is back?"  
  
At such unfortunate time came yet another unfortunate event. There was the sound of the wind chime and the door slide open.  
  
"Tadaima! Minna-san, has everything been okay since we've left?"  
  
Kyo, Bonten and Muramasa had come back from their short trip.  
  
'Ohhhhh...noooo!' Akari and Akira thought at the same time. Hotaru blinked and sighed slightly.  
  
-- -- To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2: Dinner

Author's note:

Chapter 2 is finally up. Thanks for your lovely support and I hope all of you will like my story!

Please review! Thanks!

PS: No FLAMERS allowed!

--

Mizu no Sennto

By: IronyV

Chapter 2: Dinner

--

--

At the ending of the previous chapter,

"Tadaima! Minna-san, has everything been okay since we've left?"

Kyo, Bontenmaru and Muramasa had come back from their short trip.

'Ohhhhh...noooo!' Akari and Akira thought at the same time. Hotaru blinked and sighed slightly.

--

--

Akari, Akira and Hotaru looked at each other desperately.

"What are we going to do? If we tell Muramasa-san that his sword was stolen, we will be killed!" hissed Akari worriedly.

"Okay, here's the plan, we shall not say anything about the sword. But if Muramasa-san finds out, someone will need to confess," mumbled Akira. "And that _someone_...shall be..." Akira looked at both Akari and Hotaru.

"Hotaru!"

There is a momentarily silence. (Well, except for the sound of footsteps heard around the house)

"Matte...why is it me who will be the one confessing? I am not the one who lost the sword!" whispered an indignant Hotaru.

"Hmm...well, it is you who did not keep a closer watch on that young man and it is you who have let that young man escape. Who will be a better confessor than you?" Akari sneered quietly.

"Demo...I am not the only one being negligent here. Remember both of you were--"

"Ah, Minna-san, here you are." Muramasa walked in slowly and smiled. "I have been looking all over for you in this house."

The three young elves froze when they heard the familiar voice.

"Ah...haha...Muramasa-san..._okaeri_!" Akari turned and managed to smile at Muramasa.

"Uh..._okaeri_, Muramasa-san, are you tired from the trip? How about getting a cup of nice hot tea for you?" Akira said, while smiling uncomfortably at Muramasa.

"How thoughtful of you, Akira." Muramasa continued. "Sure, I would like to have a good cup of tea."

"Right. I shall proceed to make a _good_ cup of tea for you." Akira smiled forcedly and quickly walked away to the kitchen.

Akari realised what Akira was trying to do.

"Ne Muramasa-san, how about a nice hot water basin for you tired legs?" Akari asked.

"Certainly Akari-chan, that is nice of you to offer that." Muramasa smiled happily.

Akari immediately walked off to the bathroom.

Only Hotaru and Muramasa were left in the swords gallery room. Hotaru was looking at the swords in the room, humming yet another elfish tune. There was a long silence in the room, but footsteps and muffled conversations could be heard elsewhere. Just then, Akari came back with the hot water basin, and Akira came back with the cup of hot tea.

"Muramasa-san, here is your nice hot water basin for you tired legs!"

"And your good cup of hot tea!"

Muramasa smiled.

"Thank you very much Akari-chan and Akira." He continued, "However, there is something that you are hiding from me. _And_ I have the right to believe that, do I?" At which, Muramasa pointed his finger to his head.

Hotaru, Akari and Akira looked at Muramasa uneasily. Then Akari spoke.

"Soka...we have forgotten about Muramasa-san's ability. Gomen-ne...we have been careless and your precious sword had been stolen as a result."

Muramasa smiled and patted Akari's head.

"Daijoubu Akari-chan, I do not have any intention to tell you off. But I hope that all of you will learn to be more alert and cautious in the future. You are not in Elvindar now, thus you have to be careful at all times. Wakarimasu ka?"

All three young elves nodded in agreement.

"However, for dinner..." Muramasa smiled. Upon hearing that, Akari, Akira and Hotaru tensed up, and quickly looked at Muramasa with cute puppy-like eyes.

"Why don't you cook for me today instead?" Muramasa grinned.

Akari, Akira and Hotaru felt immediate relief and bowed to Muramasa at once.

"Haii! We will ensure Muramasa-san have a hearty dinner today!" And they ran off to the kitchen.

Muramasa smiled and walked to the restroom.

'Let's hope they won't mess up my kitchen.' He thought.

--

--

Two hours later...

The five young elves are scattered around the dining area. By the looks of the empty dishes on the dining table, the three younger elves did make a good meal. Kyo started smoking his pipe quietly and had done a good job at ignoring Akari, who was drunk and attempting to seduce Kyo. Bontenmaru was sitting lazily on the floor, drinking hot sake from a cup. While Hotaru was gazing out of the window, Akira had made himself comfortable at a corner of the room, reading the guide that Muramasa had given to them.

Just then, Muramasa walked into the dining area and slowly sat down beside Kyo.

"I must say that though the miso soup was really good, it did have an awful effect on my sensitive stomach."

Akira looked at Muramasa apologetically. Hotaru turned around and looked at Muramasa.

"Gomen-ne Muramasa-san. I believe we have added in too much flavorings in the soup." Akira said. "We have somewhat forgotten how sensitive your stomach was."

"It is okay Akira, I am fine. I had already...emptied my stomach." Muramasa smiled.

"DAI-joubu Muramasa-san! I can whip up an-OTH-er dish for YOU!" All looked at Akari, who was jumping up and down wildly. "IT will be the BEST you've ever EATEN! AHAHAHA!" And with that last sentence, she fell flat on the ground.

Akira rushed over to Akari and grinned upon reaching her. "She is alright. Just fallen asleep that's all."

Bontenmaru laughed out loudly and drank even more sake. Hotaru and Akira grinned devilishly at Akari's sleeping face and were about to make some 'pretty' markings on her face when Muramasa coughed slightly.

"I was actually intending to have a discussion on the progress of the mission. However, Akari has been knocked drunk."

Akira suddenly looked up and asked, "Ne, Muramasa-san, where did the three of you go today?"

"Well, at least we are out there doing something serious, and that excludes losing a precious sword." Bontenmaru sneered and chuckled. Unfortunate for him, he was surrounded immediately by an icy aura and instantly froze him.

"Are you planning for an early death?" Akira stared icily.

"Stop playing Akira, we need to carry on with the discussion" Hotaru said quietly.

"Playing! Wha-" Akira was about to rebuke Hotaru when Muramasa coughed loudly. He stared at Hotaru angrily and sat down. There was a slight silence, with occasional muffled sounds made by Bontenmaru who was still stuck in the ice.

"As questioned, we went out to look for job opportunities near the head quarters. Most of the jobs that we have found are very service-oriented, and I do not encourage them to take these jobs." Muramasa said, breaking the stoned silence. "However, if we still can't get a proper job for Kyo and Bonten within the next two to three days, we won't be able to generate enough information for the next monthly report."

Akira nodded in response. Hotaru looked at Muramasa seriously and asked, "Speaking of finding jobs for Kyo-san and Bonten, what about our schooling mission? Have you found the school that we can enroll in?"

Muramasa nodded. "Yes, this is another issue that I would like to speak with all of you. I have chosen a school called Gakugeikan High School. I have checked and found that a few of the students in this school are children of employees working in the head quarters. You must befriend them and hopefully obtain information from these children." Muramasa paused and drank some tea. "I have enrolled all three of you into the school. However, as Akira looked younger, he would be a grade behind Akari-chan and Hotaru."

Akira stood up immediately but before he could say anything, Muramasa interrupted. "I knew you would object to this decision, but one of the employee's child is a year behind the other children. That is why I am sending you a grade behind to befriend this child."

There is a short silence. Akira frowned but sat down silently. "Wakata, Muramasa-san. I shall follow your decision."

Muramasa smiled and continued, "Now, back to Bonten and Kyo. I shall help to look for any other job opportunities for both of you tomorrow. If I still can't find a job for you, we will have to stick to the service-oriented jobs that we've found. _And_ I will need to train both of you up for those jobs."

Kyo and Bontenmaru (who had since broke out from the ice) frowned at the thought of serving humans. 'I would rather die than serve those mediocre humans!' Both thought at once. Muramasa sighed and drank from his teacup. "Hai...hai, I shall try to find a job that is not service-oriented. But no promise yet," said Muramasa resignedly.

"Muramasa-san, if you are going out to look for jobs, what will we be doing then? Do we stay at your home or follow you?" Hotaru asked.

"Neither. Tomorrow, while I am looking for more job opportunities, I would like all of you to get out of this house and tour around Tokyo." Muramasa said and passed a map to Hotaru. "Look for Gakugeikan High School and the hot tourist spots of Tokyo. You would need to know Tokyo well to be able to adapt to the environment. _And_ I would need all of you to look for accomodation as well."

"NANI! It is only the fourth day and...and we will have to live on our own now?!" Akira exclaimed.

"Un...I would like all of you to adapt to living on Earth as soon as possible. Furthermore, my place is too far away from Gakugeikan Senior High School, thus it will be difficult for Akira, Akari-chan and Hotaru to get to school everyday." Said Muramasa calmly. "I shall set a deadline for all of you to get a place and move out of here. Hmm...how about...next Monday then."

"Eh...eh... Muramasa, isn't Monday a little early for us? It is already Friday today, thus we have only _2 days_ to find accommodation!?" Bontenmaru said loudly, looking awfully exasperated. Kyo smoked his pipe and scowled.

Muramasa smiled, "2 days would be sufficient to look for accommodations. Nowadays, all you need is the _Internet_ and _newspapers_ and you can find them easily."

Akira blinked slowly and looked at Bontenmaru, who looked very puzzled.

"Ah...I have forgotten that all of you are 'tourists' here. But fret not, just read up on chapter 20 of my Earth's guide and you will know what I am talking about," said Muramasa, chuckling loudly.

Bontenmaru laughed loudly and grinned at Akira, "Ne Akira, the job of memorizing everything in the guide shall be yours."

Akira stared at Bontenmaru and hissed, "_What_ makes _you_ think that I am the _right_ person for the job, Bonten?"

"Akira, everyone here knows that you have a photogenic memory. Do us a favour and just listen to Bonten." Hotaru said with a straight face.

Akira glared at Hotaru angrily, "I am Kyo's follower, not Bonten's. I will not follow any instructions other than Kyo's."

"Are you looking for a fight Akira?" a smiling Bonten stood up and looked down at Akira. Akira stood up and glared at Bonten, his action had answered Bonten's challenge.

Hotaru stood up as well, looking at both of them with narrowed eyes. He seemed to be answering Bonten's challenge as well.

"I understand that all of you have not had a fight for the past few days, but I would not allow you to destroy my house." Muramasa said silently.

Kyo was still on the floor, smoking his pipe. He seemed to be amused and have guessed what will happen next.

The three elves were still glaring at each other, neither of them wished to back down from the anticipated challenge.

Muramasa sighed. "You leave me no choice." With a wave of his hand, the three elves suddenly fell on the floor.

"Let them rest for now and I shall release my spell in the morning." Muramasa muttered and began to clean up the dining table. He turned to look at Kyo, who was smiling slightly at the happenings in front of him.

Muramasa beamed.

"You seem happier when you are with this group of elves, Kyo."

Kyo tensed up and frowned. Muramasa continued.

"There is no need to hid it Kyo. I have been observing the group and you since all of you came, and I must say, you are in good company."

"They are my subjects, and they are to follow me wherever I go. That is all." Kyo hissed, and continued smoking his pipe

Muramasa chuckled and thought contentedly. 'This is indeed the Kyo I know.'

"Hai, hai...I shall not provoked you any further. Demo, I would like to remind you again to stop using the pipe to smoke. A young human do not smoke with a pipe."

Kyo removed his pipe, stared at Muramasa with his red-slit eyes and put his pipe back between his lips.

"I will stop...but not tonight."

Muramasa smiled and stood up slowly. He slowly strolled out of the room, taking the plates with him. Before he left, he turned around and beamed at Kyo.

"Good night, my good disciple."

--

--

The next morning...

"Errrrrrmmmm...I think I am having a headache..." groaned Akira.

The group of elves was at the dining room, having just eaten their breakfast. Beforehand, Muramasa had removed the spell and proceeded to cook some pancakes for them. Everyone, except Akira, Bontenmaru and Hotaru enjoyed the hearty meal.

"Huhhh...I can't eat those pancakes without feeling nauseated..." mumbled Hotaru, who was leaning against the wall.

"Gomenasai, minna-san...I believe I have cast a stronger spell on all of you." Muramasa looked apologetically. "However, if I do not do that, you would have tore down my house by now."

"Hai, Hai...I can't believe the three of you would behave so childishly. Fighting over _such_ a small thing indeed!" Akari said sarcastically and sighed audibly.

All three elves glared at Akari angrily, but felt another sear of pain in their heads.

"You...watch out Akari...you'll pay for this!" Akira hissed fiercely. He felt a sudden kick in the face and groaned in pain.

"Watch what you said, Akira-_chan_." Akari sneered, withdrawing her leg. "You can't even sit up straight and _you_ want to kick my _ass_? _Dream_ on!"

'Evil...EVIL!' thought Akira, Botenmaru and Hotaru simultaneously.

Muramasa chuckled. "Akari-chan, please do not tease Akira, you are a _girl_, remember?"

Akari gasped in shock and sat down immediately. "Hai...Hai! I am a girl, I must be feminine...feminine..." And she smiled politely at Muramasa and bowed slightly to Akira.

"Gomen Akira-chan, I did not mean to kick you." Akari said with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Akira, Bontenmaru and Hotaru sweat dropped.

'Crazy...CRAZY!' They thought simultaneously again.

Muramasa laughed loudly. Kyo grinned visibly, but when he realized Muramasa was looking at him, he looked down and frowned.

"Ano Muramasa-san, I have heard from Hotaru that we will be looking for accommodation today," said Akari. "But...do we have to find it by today? Afterall, we did not even get to tour around Tokyo in the first place?"

Muramasa nodded. "I understand that all of you haven't gotten the chance to explore Tokyo. _But_ exploring can be done on any other day. We would need to prioritize and ensure that your mission is in the right track. Thus, it is necessary that by Monday, you will be in your own apartment."

Akari sighed audibly and lay back on the floor. "Un, Wakarimasen na... I really wish we can tour Tokyo today..."

Bontenmaru laughed slightly and ruffled Akari's hair. "Akari, we can still explore Tokyo while looking for accommodation. Daijyobu!"

"Un, what Bonten said is correct. We can still explore while looking for accommodation," Hotaru said.

"Well, since it is already 10am, we should get going." Akira said while standing up.

"Un... lets meet outside Muramasa's house in 10 minute's time." Hotaru uttered.

--

--

In the garden outside Muramasa's house...

Akari slowly walks out of the main door, adjusting the clip on her hair. She looked up and saw the rest of the elves at the garden.

"Hai! Ishyo ni ikimashyo!" Akari chirped and hopped out of the house.

"Akari, you are late for 15 minutes! What exactly are you doing up there?" Akira yelled, folding his arms across his chest. "And.... what's with your outfit!?"

Akari was decked in a pink off-shoulder long sleeved top and a black ultra mini-skirt.

"Wh-what? There is nothing wrong with my dressing." Akari commented. "I think this is alright!"

"But....but the skirt! It's _very_ short!" Akira exclaimed.

"Well, this is the current trend now, so...there's nothing I can do about it" Akari shrugged and walked off. Her skirt threatened to move an inch higher with her every step.

Akira raised an eyebrow but started walking behind her. The others followed.

As they reached a junction, Muramasa stopped.

"I will be going in that direction," Muramasa pointed to the left of the junction. " The train station is on the right side. Just walk straight and you will reach there."

The young elves nodded and they parted.

--

--

At the train station...

"Finally...we've reached." Hotaru said. The five elves are now standing in front of the station's control room.

"Baka Muramasa," Bontenmaru hissed. "It actually took us a bloody 30 minutes before we reached here..."

"Well, if it wasn't for Akari who stalled us with her nonsensical _sight-seeing_, we would probably be here in 10 minutes time." Akira sneered.

Ignoring Akira, Akari walked over to the ticket booths.

"This booth contains the tickets to board the train," Akari uttered. "But...how do we get it out?"

Akira looked at the complicated booth machine and frowned.

"What strange object do they have here..." He pressed a few buttons to test out, but nothing came out.

Bontenmaru laughed and pushed Akira aside.

"Don't be a gentle girl Akira, a punch will do the trick!" He was about to punch out when Hotaru stopped him.

"I think I know how this works" He took out a few coins and slotted them into a small slot. The machine made a few mechanical noises before a small card dropped out of the empty hole at the bottom of the machine.

Akari, Akira and Bontenmaru gaped while he walked off nonchalantly.

Kyo smiled slightly and proceed to do the same. The shocked elves immediately gained back their momentum and did the same.

"Alright, we are in." Kyo said.

The five elves stared blankly in the front. There are people everywhere, walking to and fro the station. There was simply no order at all.

Akira stared at the numerous signboards and gave a strangled sob.

"_Now what_?"

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3: The Train station

Mizu no Sennto

By: IronyV

Chapter 3: The Train Station

Author's note:

Finally up and rolling! Chapter 3: Train station actually introduces two new characters into the story. I have slightly changed my way of writing; there are more descriptions and a clearer characters' point of view. Hope you will like it!

By the way, I couldn't do breaks for this chapter (I don't know if it has something to do with fanfiction.. ) so I put >>> in between for breaks...hope it is okay for you to read!

Thanks for your lovely reviews! As usual, please review and in the meantime, I will try to finish up Chapter 4 as soon as possible.

Thanks!

PS: No FLAMERS allowed!

>>>>

"Sir, I would like to seek your attention to an urgent matter," a voice behind the door spoke.

"Come in."

The man bowed and opened the reddish brown door slowly. Walking in, he observed the surrounding and felt as though he had entered the living room section of a home furnishing store. There was a posh sofa set in the middle of the spacious room with a rectangular teak coffee table beside it. The walls, except for the paneled one facing the sofa (the man suspect that that was where the television might be), were painted a comfy brown. A ceiling-to-floor bookshelf occupied one of the walls while a heater sat in a small corner near the sofa. The curtains were totally drawn, and the only source of light in the dark room was the crafted lamp stand beside the sofa. As he closed the door, he wondered if he had really stepped into someone's living quarters accidentally.

"Oh, this is certainly not my home," A clear voice spoke behind him. The man jumped and turned around quickly.

"Gomenasai!" The nervous man bowed deeply and then frowned in confusion when there was no one behind him.

The clear voice chuckled from the sofa suddenly and said, "Daijyobu…most of the employees are startled by my unique office when they came in, "

The man turned around, squinted in the dim light, saw a person sitting comfortably on the sofa, the light from the lamp reflected on a pair of glasses. He knew at once that this was his highest superior.

The person sipped loudly from a cup of tea in his hand and spoke again, "You are new here, aren't you?"

The man nodded promptly. "H-Hai. I am from the intelligence department. Under the Head's instruction, I am here to pass you a document." Upon saying that, he took out a sealed envelope from his front coat and walked towards the sofa, wincing a little at the brightness of the lamp. His biggest boss set the cup down onto the coffee table and reached forward for the envelope.

For a brief moment, the man saw the person's face and thought he saw a glint of red glowing eyes peeping out from a pair of spectacles. The man blinked twice, thinking that the light might have caused an illusion. He tried to take another glance at his employer, but all he saw was the light reflecting off the pair of glasses and a bright smile.

"Thank you." He said, sipping from his tea again, "You may go now."

After the employee left, the man placed his warm cup on the table and stood up. Walking towards the curtained windows, he unsealed the envelope and read the document. His eyes widened with surprise while reading it and a smile erupted from his face. With his right hand, he pushed the curtains aside, allowing the afternoon sun to shine into the room. He looked down at the busy streets surrounding the building he was in and beamed happily.

"Ah…they are finally here."

>>>>

Half an hour has passed since the elves have entered the train station.

"Akira, we have been walking around for almost an hour already." Hotaru said idly.

"Hotaru, you are not the only person who has a watch here," said Akira snapped, trying to restrain his frustration without much success.

"Ne…Kyo sama, why are we still here?" Akari asked, while grabbing Kyo's arm tightly. Kyo grimaced and said nothing, looking around for signs once in a while.

"Well, firstly, we have forgotten to bring a map along," Akira said grimly. "Secondly, although we are able to speak their language, we have yet to learn to read it, which results in our inability to read those stupid signs."

"Thirdly," Hotaru mumbled, "None of us wished to ask that scary looking man that stands behind the counter. He kept smiling and his eyes are fixed onto us!"

"Maybe we should ask the passengers here," Bontenmaru suggested. He walked over to a lady nearby but the lady nervously walked off as she saw the huge figure approaching. Bontenmaru frowned and muttered something inaudibly.

"Or maybe we should ask for assistance from that man" Hotaru uttered, pointing a finger at the man behind the counter. He looked at them and gave a sly grin.

Akira felt a shiver down his spine. "Nope, not me…I'm not doing it!"

"Me too, I have enough of asking stupid questions to humans!" Bontenmaru huffed and crossed his big arms.

Kyo only frowned.

Hotaru looked at them and shook his head steadily. "I'm not going."

The four stood in silence for a few moments before Akari finally growl in frustration, "_Fine_! _I'll_ do it! I'll sacrifice _myself_ for the future of the elves!"

As she stomped off towards the direction of the creepy guy, Akari did not notice the looks of relief and satisfaction on the faces of the other four elves. If she did, they would probably find themselves being slammed into one of the station's white walls by now.

>>>>

'What the hell is he looking at me for? And why the hell is he _smiling_ at me?' Akari thought as her eye twitched slightly and an involuntary shiver went down her spine.

She reached the counter but stood at least half a metre away from the counter.

"Erm…Hi…Do you know where can I board the train that goes to Asakusa?" Akari said hesitantly. The man was _still_ smiling at her, and there was a strange glint in his eye.

'He _is_ creepy!' Akari thought apprehensively.

The man's smile widened another inch as he raised his hand slowly, beckoning Akari to come closer. Akari stood frozen, not willing to move nearer. She frowned slightly when her mind informed her that if she couldn't get any directions now, the five elves could jolly well forget about the mission and rot in the station.

'Is this some kind of test for us to get through?' Akari wondered briefly, 'We have to work out the stupid railway system and get out safely?'

Taking a deep breath, she took a step reluctantly and leaned towards the man. Her body tensed against the icy cold counter and she gulped unconsciously. The man moved his face slowly towards Akari's face and she moved back unconsciously.

"Boo."

Akari jumped slightly and slipped, felling on the ground unceremoniously. A shocked and angry Akari looked at the man, who was clutching his sides in mirth and laughing really loudly. Akari felt a nerve in her temple twitch and a growl escaped from her lips.

"Kisama!" Akari jumped up, her eyes glinting murderously at the man and was about to deal a killer blow when a hand stopped her. She looked to her left, ready to maul whoever that interrupted her and froze when Kyo's red eyes stared back at her.

"You are not supposed to kill anyone here, Akari." Bontenmaru chided softly as Hotaru and Akira moved towards the counter.

"Baka, why are you laughing at?" Akira snapped, glaring at the laughing idiot.

The man stopped laughing and slowly straightened himself. He looked back at the young boy with blond hair and smirked.

"_Nothing,_" The man ignored the scowling boy in front of him and glanced at the group. Standing beside the young boy was a taller kid, who looked slightly older. Unlike the neat and presentable dressing the boy wore, the tall blond kid had loose, oddly matched clothing and wore flip-flops on his feet.

The man's eyes wandered to the big burly man behind the tall kid. He was huge, with big broad shoulders and an eye patch covering his right eye, and couldn't help thinking that this man might be an ex-convict. Before he could observe the pretty girl that he had pulled the prank on, he suddenly felt a penetrating stare that sends shivers down his spine. He quickly looked at the man on the girl's right side.

Although the man was wearing a pair of black shades, he could feel the intense aura the man gave. Somehow, he could see a tint of red behind those shades, but it was gone in a second.

"This man is strong," he thought quietly. He walked towards the man in black shades and smiled brightly.

"Konnichiwa. My name is Benitora, nice to meet you."

>>>>

Kyo stared back at the smiling man. He could detect a faint, challenging aura coming from this man. Kyo smirked; he'd never rejected any challenge.

"_Nice_ to meet you too, my name is Kyo…Kyotaro, I mean. You can call me _Kyo_."

'What is he doing!.' Akira thought anxiously, 'Why is he using Kyotaro's name? Does he want to get detected so soon!' Bontenmaru chuckled loudly, while Hotaru raised his eyebrows.

" _Kyo-sama_. You must absolutely address him as _Kyo-sama_." Akari said suddenly, a sweet and terribly fake smile upon her face.

"His name is _Kyoshita_, actually." Akari continued, "The rest of us call him Kyo-sama because he is actually a very great man! Right?"

Akari turned to look at Akira, Bontenmaru and Hotaru and smiled pleasantly at them. The three of them shuddered at that smile; it was the do-what-I-say-or-else smile that Akari always put on them.

"Err…_hai_…_hai_…Kyo-_sama_ is _really_ a great man," Bontenmaru said sarcastically. Hotaru and Akira smirked and nodded slightly.

"Soka…Kyo-sama must be a very important person in their lives…" Bontenmaru pondered out loudly.

"Benitora, are you a train station personnel?" Akira asked. Benitora smiled and nodded.

"Ah….I am currently doing temporary jobs around Tokyo…you can find me almost everywhere actually…"

"Ano…Benitora-kun, do you know how to get to Asakusa from here?" Akari asked politely while sidling beside Benitora.

"Err…hehe…Akari-chan, currently you are at the Ikebukuro station…take the JR line to Ueno station and take the train on Ginza line to Asakusa." Benitora gushed, looking happily at Akari.

"Un! Arigatou Benitora-kun!" Akari smiled innocently at Benitora and hopped away towards Kyo. The rest followed and they slowly moved away from the counter.

"Ha….you…you're welcome!" a flushed Benitora gushed dreamily and waves his hands at Akari.

>>>>

"Benitora eh…silly human…" Akira smirked while the elves are walking to the train platform.

"Akira chan, Benitora is a nice man! Stop insulting him!" Akari argued, frowning dangerously. She whipped around suddenly and smiled sweetly at Kyo. "Kyo-sama, my complements to that human doesn't mean that I am in love with him…I just thought that he is a nice man…that's all…I _love_ only you Kyo-sama!"

"Whatever…" Kyo said nonchalantly.

The group walked in silence, observing the huge mass of crowd in the station. Minutes later, they finally reached the station platform.

"I heard from Muramasa-san that the train are usually packed with people," groaned Akira. He spotted Akari snickering and glared at her.

"Come one Akira, try to relax, you looked like you are a teenager trying to act like an adult," Akari sneered.

"Hey, for your information, I _am_ an adult!" Akira hissed. His verbal confrontation stopped when they heard the thundering sound of the incoming train."

Bontenmaru chuckled, "Akira, stop talking for one second and try to squeeze into that train."

Akira frowned but kept his silence as they entered the train. It was a daunting experience for all of them; humans from all directions rushed around them, pushing them hard into the train. Before they could recover from the shock, they found themselves squashed between the human crowds, unable to move. Kyo found himself to be squashed with a gleeful Akari.

"Kyo-sama! I am soo happy to be squashed with you!" a flushed Akari squealed and hugged Kyo tightly.

Kyo frowned, irritated by the situation. He felt Akari's head on his chest and burrowed his brows. He was the leader of the group, but in this cramped train, he could not do anything to block Akari's advances. He decided to simply ignored Akari and observed his surroundings.

He spotted Akira and Bontenmaru at a corner of the train. It seemed that they noticed the suggestive behaviour that Akari was doing to Kyo. While Bontenmaru was snickering, Akira was staring angrily at Akari, who was totally ignorant of their presence. Moving his vision to the other side of the train, he spotted Hotaru, who had somehow managed to find a seat and was carrying an intense conversation with an old man next to him. Kyo smiled slightly; these are the elves that worked for him, he thought. They are the ones that fought together with him during the warring periods in Elvindar. But now, they looked just like any normal human being, indifferent and weak. He closed his eyes and pondered over what he said. He was, after all, half a human himself.

>>>>

After much jostling around the human crowd, they finally managed to get off the train at the Ueno station.

"Akira, I think we need to ask for directions again." Akari said while staring blankly at the signboard.

Akira looked up from his futile attempt at reading another signboard and sighed tiredly, " I know that too, Akari. Can you ask for directions from the young girl over there?" He jabbed his thumb to his left.

Everyone glanced over to the direction Akira pointed. A young looking girl with long blond hair was leaning against a pillar. She wore a pink turtleneck top and a gray-checkered mini skirt. She was reading a magazine, and would occasionally looked up and glanced around the surroundings. Probably waiting for someone, Kyo thought.

Akari turned back and raised an eyebrow. Then, she simply gave a big sigh and pouted her lips.

"Oh well, since Akira-_chan_ doesn't _dare_ to ask even a young girl for directions, I shall ask her _myself_." She said with a tinge of sarcasm.

Akira stared back at her. He instantly felt irritation seeping through his bones. He couldn't be a coward; he was after all, one of the Shiseiten fighters. He knew that Akari was challenging him, and he felt himself accepting that challenge.

"_Fine_! I shall show you that I am not a coward!" Akira huffed and stomped towards the girl.

I think I need to get some anger management, Akira thought tiredly when he found himself walking reluctantly towards the girl. He sighed, 'Akari is always making use of my temper…'

With a shake of his head, he instantly eased down his unhappiness and put on a small friendly smile. As he walked towards the girl, he could feel Kyo's eyes on him. He narrowed his eyes determinedly; he'll show Akari that he is as brave as her.

"Sumimasen," Akira smiled as he neared the blond girl and bowed slightly, "I would like to know where could I take the train from here to Asakusa."

The young girl looked up and smiled at Akira. Akira could see a thick layer of blue eye shadow around her big green eyes and noticed the difference in the colour of the skin on her face and her neck. He thought that she might be one of those Harajuku girls that were mentioned in Muramasa's guidebook.

"Oh, you are going to Asakusa too?" She closed the magazine and stood up. "I am actually meeting someone to go to Asakusa, but I doubt he would be coming." She looked at the watch and her big eyes narrowed slightly in a frown. Shrugging, she looked up again at Akira and beamed. "Anyway, since I am going to Asakusa, I can bring you there instead. Is it alright for you?"

Akira smiled gratefully and nodded, although part of him was not pleased about being leaded by a human. He glanced at his group and discreetly gave a few hand signals at them, asking them about their opinion. All of them gave him the 'OKAY' sign impatiently. Akira sighed inwardly. He was also eager to end this trip as soon as possible.

Akira turned back at the young girl and smiled. "I would love to, but I am actually traveling with that group." He pointed at his group, who are looking at Akira and the young girl. "If you don't mind, you can travel with us." Akira continued.

The young girl pondered for a while. Then, she smiled and nodded her head. "Sure! Let's go then!"

>>>>

"My name is Shiina Yuya, but you can call me Yuya." The young girl said, turning her attention to the group. " What's yours?"

Akari was chatting with Bontenmaru when she heard her speak. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't like the idea of allowing a girl to join them as a group, but since Yuya's help was much needed, she reluctantly agreed. Slightly turning her head towards Kyo, Akari felt a sudden pang of jealousy when she saw Kyo looking at Yuya. It was more like a stare, and Akari knew that Kyo was judging the girl. Slowing her walking pace, Akari skipped to the left and gave Kyo a tight hug, Kyo-sama is hers; she thought jealously, no one could claim him.

On her right, Akira turned his head towards Yuya, " My name is Akira," and turning his body slightly to his left, continued, "This is Kyo-san, my-"

"_Kyo-sama_, you should always call him Kyo-_sama_," Akari interrupted. She looked at Yuya intently and continued, "My name is Akari, nice to meet you." She shook Yuya's hand and proceeded to introduce the two other elves, Bontenmaru, who was chuckling at Akira's fuming face, and Hotaru, who was staring blankly to his right. Both of them turned their heads simultaneously towards Yuya and smiled slightly. Then, they continued with what they were doing.

Upon reaching the train platform, the loud and roaring sounds echoing from the train tracks announced the train's arrival. Akari immediately grabbed hold of Kyo's arm and blushed. "Kyo-sama, I really _lovve_ it when I am in the train with you!" she squealed.

Kyo frowned annoyingly. He was starting to hate train rides. However, when they entered the train, Kyo realized that the train wasn't as packed as before, and although there weren't any empty seats, there was actually a space in the corner big enough for the group to stand. He walked over to that corner and leaned his body against the glass panel. The rest of the group followed over and silence loomed. With a stranger around, the elves found it impossible to discuss about their mission or even joked with one another in their native language.

It was Yuya who broke the silence.

"Hmm," Yuya smiled. "So…I assume that all of you are tourists." She turned to Akira, who was reading Muramasa's guidebook. "Where do you all come from?"

Akira stiffened and looked up at Yuya, who was looking intently at him. Of all elves in the group, she had to choose him, Akira thought annoyingly. He put up a smiling face at Yuya and simply said out the first country he recalled from reading Muramasa's guidebook.

"We are from…Singapore," Akira continued, "We are actually going to stay in Japan for awhile, because-"

"Because Bontenmaru and Kyo-sama have a temporary work assignment here." Akari interrupted. Akira felt an instant stab of irritation and fumed silently. Akari never fails to interrupt him, he thought icily. He glared at Akari, who ignored him and continued with the story, "The three of us, Akira-_chan_, Hotaru and I are still students, so we will be studying at the Gakugeikan High School in Asakusa."

Hotaru and Akira, who had already calmed down, nodded and Akari beamed. "Anyway, we are on the way to Asakusa to look for lodgings."

"Did you say you need accommodation?" Yuya interrupted. Her big green eyes suddenly brightened up and she quickly took out a name card from her sling bag. She held it towards Akari, who took it after a slight pause of apprehension.

"I am actually looking for tenants to rent two of my rooms in my bungalow in Asakusa," said Yuya. She zipped open her sling bag and took out a small folder. Passing a piece of paper to Akira, she continued. "Here's a picture of my bungalow and the rooms that I intend to rent out. The rental charges are as listed."

"I was going to meet up with a prospective tenant, but she never turn up today." Yuya continued. She could see from the prospects' eyes that they were slightly apprehensive. "I can bring you to my bungalow and show you the rooms if you want."

Yuya waited for the group's response. She could feel hesitation and tension among the group members. Observing their body language, she could immediately guess that the tall, handsome man in black was their leader. The group referred him as Kyo-sama, Yuya pondered, probably as a form of respect. She could sense the powerful and authorative aura of that man, and assumed that he could be an important person in his country.

Are they a family, Yuya wondered, or what kind of relationship do they hold?

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by Akira, the shorter blond kid, who looked at her with his round blue eyes and said, "It's alright Yuya-san, the photos are good enough."

"However, we can only give you an answer after we have a discussion with our guardian." He continued. He turned to look at the large guy on his left who chuckled loudly and uttered, "Un, we have to discuss before we have come to a decision. We will give you a call once we've decided."

Yuya sighed and nodded slowly. "Sure, not a problem. My name and contact number are on the name card." She smiled and gestured her hand to the door. The group followed her to the train door as the train approached their destination.

"Just give me a call when you have decided." She said. As the train door opened, she waved good-bye and started towards the escalator at the right.


End file.
